Hedging the China Threat: US-Taiwan Security Relations Since 1949

"An outstanding resource…. This essential guide to the world's most dangerous territorial dispute combines meticulous historical research with explanations of US foreign policy outcomes at both the domestic and the international level." ―Shale Horowitz, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

The United States has never formally recognized Taiwan as a sovereign state, yet it has provided the country with security assistance since the establishment of the Republic of China (ROC) government there in 1949. What accounts for this equivocal stance? And how is the US leveraging Taiwan against China?

To unpack this complex triangular relationship, Shao-cheng Sun explores the history of US commitments to the ROC since the presidency of Harry S. Truman. His analysis of each successive administration's policymaking reveals the interplay of personal, domestic, and global interests in what has become one of the most precarious situations in world politics today.

CONTENTS:
China, Taiwan, and the United States.
Early Commitments to Taiwan: The Truman Administration.
The Offshore Islands Crises: The Eisenhower Administration.
Maintaining the Status Quo: The Kennedy Administration.
The PRC Nuclear Test and the Vietnam War: The Johnson Administration.
The Opening of China: The Nixon Administration.
Moving Slowly Toward Normalization: The Ford Administration.
Establishing Diplomatic Relations with China: The Carter Administration.
Arms Sales Disputes and Reassurances: The Reagan Administration.
Dealing with the Tiananmen Square Crisis: The George H. W. Bush Administration.
The 1995–1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis: The Clinton Administration.
From Strategic Competitor to Strategic Partner: The George W. Bush Administration.
Seeking a Rebalanced Policy: The Obama Administration.
Confronting a More Assertive China: The Trump Administration.
The Taiwan Strait Crisis of 2022–2023: The Biden Administration.
The Future of US-China-Taiwan Relations.